With the wide-spread use of the Internet, electronic commerce (e-commerce) has become embedded in cultures throughout the world. Buying consumer products and services in a marketplace full of choices can often be a tedious task and the shopping process for on-line users can be even more difficult.
The experience that Internet search engines and ecommerce platforms provide can be very different from the experience a consumer would have in a physical store, where the salesman is available for questioning and recommendations. At the same time, social networks such as Facebook™ and MySpace™ and business orientated networking platforms such as LinkedIn™ continue to grow in popularity. Blogging platforms such as Twitter™ provide additional ways for users to keep in touch with friends and family and to make new social contacts worldwide.
Both vendors and advertising companies have begun to leverage social media sites in an effort to increase the sales and revenue related to e-commerce activities. As such, it has become more important for social networking sites to provide interfaces that facilitate e-commerce activity.